Tackling the Ever Growing Mending Pile...

Part I

Oh what is it about mending and alterations that I just don't like? Let me count the ways... 

1. mending is tedious, in the dull sense of the word.  
2. It cuts into my creative ventures.
3. It bores me silly. 

✄ ✄ ✄ 

You get the gist, right? Sometimes I can justify taking in my own mending and alteration pile to a professional like this project that I feared.  

My favourite jacket, sized as a petite, had sleeves that were much too long. I wore it a few times with the sleeves turned up but I longed to have them turned up. The functionable buttonholes and mittered corners stumped me so I took it in to have it altered. Stitch It Clothing and Alterations fixed it for me. 

They did a great job even without being able to save the functionable buttonholes, they did a way better job that I could. I wish I could afford to give them all my mending and alterations.

✄ ✄ ✄  

One of my knickers made it to the mending pile when I poked a hole into the knit fabric with my finger nail. Totally by mistake. All it needed was a dab of Fray Check and just to have a needle and thread run through it--a five minute job that waited weeks to be done. And then I clipped my nails down to a less-dangerous length.

✄ ✄ ✄ 

Mama R threw some of her mending and alterations my way. How can you say "no" to your mom? I wouldn't want to anyway. I'm lucky to have her in my life, even if she does give me her mending to do. This RTW shirt needed to be shortened. I had to dig out my jean-a-ma-jig to help with the bulky sections but again, it was another quick fix that waited too long to get done. My bad.

✄ ✄ ✄   

Okay, I had a really good excuse for these pockets taking so long to materialize. I spent some time searching for the left-over fabric that I mis-placed while cleaning up my workspace.

Mama R wanted pockets added to her housedress. Yes, I made this dress back in May. That is how long she has been waiting for pockets to be added to her dress.

Have I mentioned how patient this woman is with me?

I was lucky to have enough of the navy fabric left over to squeeze in a band on the top of the patch pocket. Mama R didn't care if it had the navy trim, she just wanted pockets. But once the pockets were done she was happy that it matched the upper portion of the dress. Although, I'm not sure if it made up for the time it took me to complete this request.

I can't take all the credit on this mending and alteration job. Mama R let the dress out herself. Armed with a seam ripper, she let out some of the seam allowance on the curved dart in the front and restitched a new seam allowance. It worked out perfectly giving her the desired amount of ease.

Much more on the mending pile, stay tuned for Part II.

Happy Sewing!